Category: Hate

And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. — Mark 7:20-22

When it concerns my work as a CSI, I do not speak about cases under investigation. I do not speak to the media about any aspect of my job unless it has been cleared by my chain of command. Careless words spoken about a Crime Scene Investigation can ruin its findings in court. Incomplete or slanted information about the findings to media can provoke public outcry and anger. This has been clearly evidenced in several police shootings in recent years. Make no mistake, there are individuals, businesses, and authorities who use this tactic to turn a profit.

Recently, Amazon Prime Video promoted their original series The Man In The High Castle. I must say I have enjoyed the series. It is well acted and produced. The writing is a good adaptation of the original work by Philip K. Dick.

The commercial (above), objectively, did its job. In a very similar way to the original War of the Worlds radio broadcast, it struck a nerve and brought a lot of attention to the product. Sometimes attention is not a good thing. If you’ve ever suffered inflamed nerves, you know how easily pain erupts with the trigger of the slightest touch.

I doubt Amazon’s intention was to spark the vitriol of hate that soon erupted in social media. Those supporting the current president of the USA – Donald Trump perceived an attack of hatred and malice. Those not, perceived fear and ignorance in his supporters.

In a previous post about hate, in particular, mass-murderer Dylan Roof’s, I pointed out that each of us has the potential to let it rule our lives. In another post, I wrote about fear. Our world, with its billions of people, varied cultures, religions, and personal preferences, has commonalities. The worst, hate and fear, take our childish hands and lead us down a dark tunnel.

Is it a coincidence that the original “resistance radio” was aired by Jesus Christ to a world of people very similar to us?

According to Jesus’ words, broadcast from a hill to a large crowd of listeners, what we take into our bodies does not spiritually defile us. The information our eyes and ears take in, benign or malicious, filters through our heart, then comes out in our words and actions. If our hearts are full of hate and fear, our actions will promote hatred and fear. There is a lot of both in our world.

The only, and I repeat ONLY, way to stop fear and hate from controlling our words and actions is to change our hearts. Unless we do there is no hope for us. Fortunately, the original Resistance Radio DJ, Jesus Christ can change hearts, take away fear, and end hatred. Tune your receiver to Him.

As the Apostle John said: do not imitate or promote what is evil, but instead what is good. Don’t be so quick to pull the trigger that enflames hatred and fear.

What triggers do you have? How are they related to your hates and fears?

Full disclosure: I do have an Amazon Affiliate link on this site. This post, however, is not purposefully related to it.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8

Steeple of Emanuel -ame-church

Eight Christians were slain at a bible study inside the historic Emanuel-AME-Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Another died later of injuries at a hospital. One hate-filled, young man shot them and fled the scene. He was arrested later.

Having worked many shootings I can visualize the crime scene investigation in the church.

Investigators meticulously comb over the scene looking for physical evidence of exactly what happened.

Measurements, photographs, perhaps videos, will be taken.

Bullet trajectories will be calculated and recorded. Bullets and bullet fragments will be marked and gathered.

DNA and fingerprint evidence will be collected for laboratory analysis and matching to the victims and suspect.

Physical evidence will be gathered to explain what happened in that church.

A young woman (@DeannaFarley_) tweeted “Disgusted with the evil in this world. It’s sad that innocent people can’t even feel safe in church. #PrayForCharleston.” She was correct. It is sad. We cannot feel safe in church. We should not feel “safe” anywhere in this world.

I responded with a paraphrase of Jesus’ words recorded in John 17:12. I hope my tweet brought her some ease. The Word always does for me.

None of us is safe in this world because of hate. When Christ, God in the flesh, walked among us He kept his faithful safe. He went away promising to return. Hatred followed them the rest of their days. His faithful will not be safe from earthly harm until the day He comes back.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said, “The only reason someone would walk into church and shoot people praying is hate.” I don’t know the mind of the suspect or if hatred of the victims’ ethnicity or their faith filled his heart. The mayor was correct in his statement.

I am assuming the nine victims are children of God, so at this very moment they stand in the presence of life and glory itself. If they were killed because of their faith then crowns will be given to them as well. They need fear nothing ever again.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously coined the words, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” What we really need to fear is hatred itself.

Regardless of the evils we see, hear, or feel, the one thing we must not do is let hatred gain a foothold in our hearts. We have been warned sin crouches at the door waiting for us to step into it. That warning, given by our Creator to the first murderer, is valid to all His children to this day.

Hatred crouched at the door of Dylann Roof. He stepped out alone and it devoured him. Outside influences may have led him to this heinous choice. It was, in the end, his choice to make. He must be tried in a court of law and eventually in the court of Heaven. Never doubt that hatred prowls the streets of every ethnicity and level of society. Alone you are no match for it. In submission to Christ you are. Do not let it devour you.